Lady Business

I wouldn't look at it solely as queer characters - I think it's important to note the intersection with race. The Fifth Season has a heavy focus on power dynamics and slavery. It's also written by an African American feminist, so it's interesting to view those themes in light of the author.

Also, I got the feeling that the "queer characters being denied agency" was just if they had orogeny and were thus enslaved. At the beginning of the novel the narrator mentions some random market lady who flirts with her. There were other little things like that that made me think queer people were generally accepted in main stream society.

I think it's very much a novel about agency and lack of, and a lot of Essun's character arc in the book is her struggling for agency.